Determined to achieve each of the above through the power of my pinterest boards

Tag: exercise

When you look up the definition of the word “health”, Google claims it is the state of being free from illness or injury, a person’s mental or physical condition.

It’s funny how when one thinks of weight loss, we often state we are getting healthy. I suppose, in reality, we have given being overweight a stigma of being unwell. Which is sad as there are many people who are most likely both healthy and obese (you really can be both).

Sadly, I don’t think I am one of those people. At least not at the moment.

For the past several weeks my foot has ailed me. Now let me start out saying I have the world’s worse feet (I use to think ugliest too, but then I googled what a particular foot problem looked like, and realized my feet really aren’t that bad – or at least they could be a lot worse). Anyhow, I digress, I have what I think might be plantar’s fasciitis. I’m down to just heel pain again (for a bit I had my arch hurting, my ankles hurting – you see I sprained both ankles about 10 years ago and it takes very little for them to flare up at times – and one of the reasons that I think this could have happened is because of my weight.

I’m over 200 pounds and I need to lose weight. Sadly, having ailing feet doesn’t help me at all with the whole “I need to lose weight” part of my life. Not that I have actually been overwhelmingly motivated to do anything.

Tomorrow I am going to begin working on being a healthier me. I have to do something because I’m tired of feeling like utter crap all the time. I can’t help but think I know if I ate better and exercised more and lose some of this excess weight that I would truly feel better.

It’s all about finding the will power.

How do you find the strength to make it through the day?

Here is my before picture – not exactly a full blown here is me in all my glory picture – but it’s better than nothing – especially when I’m already ready for bed. I’ll do a full-length picture tomorrow when I give my first update.

So last night my kids and I signed up for the Mind, Body & Sole program that is put on by our county library and sponsored by local businesses. It’s fun, and not only gets you reading but it gets you moving too.

Summer Reading & Exercise Program

The name of this program is called Mind, Body and Sole and it’s because along with tracking days in which you read – they are encouraging you to get up and move for approximately 30 minutes a day as well – and we all can use physical movement.

So yesterday after signing up, my son (who was the one who really wanted to sign up for this) checked out 4 books, my daughter checked out 1 (who decided she would sign up too – despite not really wanting too) and then we went to the local Metro Park and hiked with friends.

Today we went back to the library and my son checked out 4 more books because the ones he checked out last night he’d read already (he is a lover of the graphic novel – he can’t get enough of super heroes). Today’s picks included 3 Ninjago and 1 Phineas & Ferb. Should make for excellent reading.

Spree For All

After our trip to the library we went to a different Metro Park and participated in one of the smaller hikes that qualify us for the Spree for All program. A few years ago we earned our lanyards and now each year we get a pin for each additional year we complete it. I enjoy the Spree for All Program simply because it includes people of all ages and even those who may have disabilities. All the surfaces are flat and smooth, so strollers, wheelchairs, and walkers can do it, and often the trails are optional lengths of 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile or 1 mile. We chose to do 1 mile this evening.

Presently we have 2 trails done, 3 to go. We should have them finished up by the end of the weekend. July 1st starts the biking spree, we may try this for the first time (we attempted 2 years ago before my son could ride a 2-wheeler, so this year could prove interesting).

Nothing like reading and exercise to get you through rough days. I’m lucky I have 2 great kids who do these programs with me.

So today I’m taking a huge leap… I’m confessing my weight to the world. I’m going to state the digit out there for all the world to know (gulp!) and try (BIG try) to lose weight and share what works and what doesn’t with all of you.

Now I am fortunate that my hubby’s work allows us to join a gym… but with his umpiring as a second job to pay for said truck that has overextended us (see this past Monday’s post) it doesn’t give me a lot of time to go and work out (the children need someone home still). So when I begin exercising, it will be a combination of stuff I can do at home along with classes I can join along with there.

So here it is… the big number… which is big, but I know it could be worse. I weigh, according to the scale in my bathroom…. 195.6 pounds. Wow, look at that… I’m still standing. The world hasn’t come crashing down around me.

Then again, I haven’t hit the magic “Publish” button yet either.

Last night I was able to get the last of the ice cream out of my house and today I went ahead and allowed myself my final Dr. Pepper Polar Pop (purchased with quarters found around the house). Tomorrow I will do better…. a return to eggs, oatmeal, and some other kind of nutritious breakfast I need to find to give me variety.

Is there anything good you like to eat for breakfast when you are trying to lose weight? What about lunch – I’m always up for new ideas and would appreciate anything you can share.

And hopefully blogging every day as I try to do this won’t freak anyone out… maybe if I report EVERYTHING I do I won’t be as horrible at falling off the wagon. So along with the above weight – here are my measurements:

Arms – 13″

Hips – 44″

Thighs – 27-3/4″

Waist – 39-1/2″

The last one always hurts – I never had a tummy until I had my kids. Have always been a hip and thigh girl though – just like my Grandma!

I will also keep accountable at Sparkpeople.com – if you use the website, let me know in the comments below – we can friend each other and cheer ourselves towards our goals!

Don’t forget – if you have any nutritious breakfast or lunch ideas that pass picky people’s taste testing – let me know! I get bored very easy (which is why I have Dr. Pepper and Chex Mix for breakfast so often).

I can do this!!!!!

My before picture:

I found the following quote in a search – and I know it’s the ultimate taboo to use other people’s art – but I like the butterflies and I always try to credit and link what I borrow from others (so maybe I won’t get in as much trouble). So here is this quote – I thought it was perfect for myself today, it’s from the website Great Minds Think Fit:

Mondays can often be the toughest day of the week. We head back to work (assuming you work a normal Monday through Friday job) and some weeks just seem to suck. Well, that was my week last week. I work full time for an interior design firm/furniture store and three times a year we have a big sale that lasts anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks and the last day is pure hell. Last Tuesday was no exception, the designers are just lovely and wait until 5pm to give me orders that are 4 and 5 pages in length (multiply that by 5-6 items per page and you see why I was disgruntled).

But along with jobs that have us stressed (or frankly that maybe you just dislike) there are the other stresses that get to you. Raising kids who think they have all the answers is a problem. I have had the embroiled battled with my sixth grader who has almost flunked two classes this year. This is completely foreign to me because I never failed classes. I thought it was horrendously horrible of me when I got D’s on some mid-terms in high school…. but to almost fail a grading period? Unheard of in my world, and yet my girl child doesn’t seem to think this is a huge problem. And when we take things away, it’s like it’s nothing, she just goes with the flow and figures out and life stands still. So aggravating!

And of course all this stress bothers me in a variety of ways. I internalize EVERYTHING and so my shoulders get tightened and then I get migraines and then it’s a never-ending story. I eat food I shouldn’t, drink beverages I shouldn’t (can you say Hello Dr. Pepper?) and starts a horrible circle of unhealthiness.

So today I bring to you bits of motivation from my Pinterest boards. I don’t look at the motivational board of “New Me” as often as I should and there are good quotes and sayings that maybe would assist me in not taking everything so seriously. To live in the moment and be happy for what I do have… and remind me what I need to do to stay on track, make myself go to gym and work out and be everything I can be.

The first is one dealing with life in general. I LOVE THIS… I should look at it every day, multiple times a day… Isn’t it awesome?

This next one is what I need to do when I get super stressed… trouble is I’m always at work and I just can’t get up and exercise… but oh if I could…

I don’t know about you – but a happier life is what I aim for every day. May these words ring true with you – and give you something to think twice about before you eat one Twinkie too many that you regret (what am I talking about… one can’t eat too many Twinkies).

Long live Twinkies – they last forever… one of my favorite parts of WALL-E.

Do you have any words of wisdom or a motivational quote you like? Please share it with me!

So, how many of you had losing weight, eating healthy, or something else along those lines as one of your New Year’s Resolutions?

Now that we are almost 2 weeks into the new year, who has done well?

I have not. I have lost… a total of 1.6 pounds. Hardly what my goal was for the year. So I am turning to my peers to go on this journey with me. You will help be my accountability.

So now I struggle… do I just say how much I need to lose or do I really put the big number out there? It’s really not so bad. I know people who have far more weight to lose than I. At this point in time I want to lose 58.4 pounds. A very do-able number, but at the same time finding the time and correct food to eat is difficult. Why do fruits and veggies cost so much? Why does my work not have a kitchen where I could go to cut up food in the middle of the day so my desk doesn’t become an icky sticky mess?

These are just one of many ways I can talk myself out of eating healthy.

Carbs are my weakness. Dr. Pepper too…. I had done so well not drinking pop and then suddenly last Friday I had a massive migraine. It hurt to turn my head because as soon as I did, my head would throb… ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom.

So on my lunch I weakened and went to the gas station and got my first Dr. Pepper of the year. A whopping 69 cent Polar Pop from the Circle K. Topped off with my Bed Buddy (one of those awesome t-shirt cylinders with rice inside to it’s nice moist heat on ones neck and shoulders – my first one just died and I’d had it over 20 years, it was wore out as it began getting holes in it, one of the greatest inventions ever) by 2:30 all was right with the world.

Then of course hubby bought 2 liters for me and it is an addiction for me… if it is in the house, I will drink it.

So today is the first of many Weigh In Wednesdays. Feel free to comment below with how much weight you want to lose, and what you are doing to make it happen.

I did join my local gym (I had joined last year too). Now I just need to figure out how I am going to exercise without it being my whole life (as was the case last year). Surely there is some sort of balance. I will find it.

ALL TIPS WELCOMED!

The struggle is real and know you aren’t alone! And I can’t afford to spend money to join two letters at the end of the alphabet that aid people in losing weight, and some of the other weight loss websites just bore me after using them so long… it’s too hard inputting all the food….

Oh my gosh – my laziness is showing! But seriously, sometimes entering all the ingredients and guestimating how much of this was in your tuna noodle casserole just becomes annoying. Am I alone here?

This has been me lately. It’s amazing that even at the age of 42, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I’ve never been good at having close friends. If there is a way to find a clunker, by all means, I will find them. Well, about a year ago, the closest thing I had to a girlfriend decided it was over. Ever notice how when your girlfriend decides you are no longer useful, this alienation is almost worse than when your boyfriend breaks up with you? (Though this was topped in high school when my boyfriend was my best friend…. but that’s another blog post).

Anyhow now that a year has passed I realized I was really becoming (gulp) bummed. I think this is why a month ago I gave up going to the gym. I wasn’t losing weight as I hadn’t changed my eating habits – and it definitely takes both eating well AND exercising to have an effective journey of health. I was dealing with my sadness with my very good friend, ice cream (you know, the friend who NEVER lets you down – and now I have a Depeche Mode song going through my head).

But today – despite waking up with a migraine, I did it. I went to the gym (the migraine was gone by then, but often I would still use that as an excuse not to go). I rode the recumbent exercise bike for 30 minutes and rode about 5.6 miles (without my MP3 player mind you). It wasn’t much, but it beat just sitting at home.

I also took baby steps to eliminate some of the drama that was aiding in my continuance of being bummed.

So baby steps to less drama. Baby steps to healthy choices.

Now, if I wouldn’t have drank so much Dr. Pepper today trying to get rid of the migraine (because ibuprofen and Past Tense alone won’t do it), life would have been really good. (Baby steps to drinking less DP?).

Wow – much more serious post than I pictured for a Monday. Baby steps to a saner life… one blog at a time. Until next time!

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